Gas-engine.



no. 634,654. Pafentg oct. no, 1899.

G. A. WHITCUMB.

GAS ENGINE.

, (Application led Apr.' l, 1899.) (No Modei.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l,

80.634,654. Paeled Oct. I0, 1899.

G. A. WHITKCMB.

GAS ENGINE.

(Application led Apr. 1, 1899.)

(No Rudel.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hjgesses la. 634,654, Patented 00L IU, 1.899.

` G. A. wmcoms.

SAS ENGINE.

(Applicton tiled Apr. l, 1899.)

(llo Model.) 3 Sheais--Sluaet 3.

, ly o nAffargzys,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGEA. W'HITGOMB, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTSASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO EVANS'V. HODGDON, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,654, dated October 10, 1899.

i Application filed April 1, 1899. Serial No, 711,415. NO model.)

To all whom it may concer/t;

Beit known that I, GEORGE A.WH-1rooMB,

ticularly of the four-cycle type, and has for its objects to provide simplified and improved means for controlling thefeedand exhaust ports of the piston-cylinder and also to provide means for insuring a prompt and edicient explosion of the contents of the cylinder at the properpoint in the operation of the piston.

Further objects and advantages of this in"-v vention will appear in the following descrip-y tion, and the novel featuresY` thereof will be particularly pointed out in lthe appended claims.

In the'drawin gs, Figure 1 is a sectional View in a plane transverse to the axis of the crankshaft of an engine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. l or parallel with the axis of the crank-shaft.`

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are diagrammatic views, respectively, showing the positions of the piston at the ends of the several strokes thereof. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the piston de,-y

tached. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional views in planes at right angles to each other of a piston, showing a modified construction of connection between the same and the piston-rod or pitman.k y c n Y Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all thefignres of the draw' ings. v

In the drawings I have shown a preferredl embodiment of my invention, wherein the cylinder l, which is closed at itsupper end, 1 is suitably attached at itslower open end to a casing 2, preferably of cylindrical construction, forming a crank-pit. In the drawings the casing is shown provided at its upper side with a threadedcollar 3, with which .the lower end of the cylinder is engagedbut'it will be understood that other means of attachment may be preferred and adopted. Furthermore, in the drawings I have shownthe cylinder provided exteriorly,with-radiating ribs 4, designed for maintaining the cylinder at a suitablylow temperature; but it will be under/stood that the ordinary water-jacket may be substituted therefor.

Communicating with the cylinder at an intermediate point is van exhaust-port 5 and one or more feed-ports 6, two ofsuch feedy ports being shown in the drawings and ar- 6o ranged upon Vopposite lsides of the exhaustport and slightly above the plane thereof. Communicating with the exhaust-port and extending downward'therefrom or in adirection from the explosion-chamber A, which is formed by the portion of the cylinder between its closed end and the piston, is an exhaust-channel 7, which is obliquely or spirally disposed for a purpose hereinafter explained, the same terminating short of the 7o lower or inner end of the cylinder. Also arranged at a suitable point in the wall of the cylinder is anigniter S, which may be of any preferred construction and forms no part of my present invention. 7 5

The piston 9 is hollow, the same being open atits lower endand closed at its upper end, with the exception of the extremities of a plurality of reliefchannels l0, which extend downward through the wall of the piston and 8o terminateV near the lower edge thereof, said feed-channels being adapted for successiveA communication at their lower or outlet extremities with the exhaust-channel 7. The piston is mounted inl the cylinder for reciprocatory and rotary movements and is provided With cut-off valves l1, preferably of rigid construction and consisting of ears extending upward from the head or upper end of the piston and in contact at their outer 9o surfaces with the wall of the cylinder. These lcui'foffs, of which any desired number may be employed, are spaced apart around the periphery of the upper end of the piston, and ,thus are arranged in an annular series-for successive location in operative relation with lthe feed and exhaust ports in the cylinder-v wall;` also,the relative location of the ports and widths of the cut-offs are such that when a cut-off is located to close the exhaust-port 5 roo the adjacent feed-ports 6 are exposed and are in communication with the cylinder-fin advance of the piston. On the other hand, 4when the cut-offs are disposed to expose or open the exhaust-port the feedport .orports m5 are closed, and in thisgvay Ilamlenabled to alternately openthe feed andexhaust ports, the one being closed "when 'the'other is open,

whereby the escape of explosive mixture through the exhaust-port during its admission to the feed-ports is prevented. In this connection I have also provided a deflector 12, of cylindrical construct-ion, extending upward from the piston, preferably outside of the adjacent extremities of the relief channels or passages 10, and adapted to occupy a position in front of the feed-ports 6 when the piston is in such a position as to expose said ports for the admission of the motive agent. The function of this deflector or shield is to form between itself and the wall of the cylinder an annular pocket, which first receives the explosive mixture and which retains a portion of that explosive mixture uncontaminated with remains of exploded mixture from the preceding charge. Obviously as the feedports are exposed to admit a new charge of the explosive mixture any remains of the previous charge will be expelled from this pocket, and thus as the piston rises to compress the contents of the cylinder this annular pocket will retain a supply of the unadulterated mixture, which will be brought into direct contact with the igniter before the spark is produced. Thus the efficient explosion of the charge is assured.

The means which I employ for communieating the reciprocatory movement of the piston to a driven shaft 13 and for communicating a rotary motion to the piston for causing the cut-offs to move in a path transverse to the cylinder or transverse to that of the reeiprocatory movement of the piston embodya pitman or piston -rod 14, connected with a crank or wrist-pin 15, which in my preferred construction is carried by crank disks or wheels 16, attached, respectively, to the members of the shaft 13, said crank disks or wheels being mounted to operate in the cylindrical casing 2. The upper end of the pitman or piston-rod has a rocking and rolling connection with the piston, preferably by means of a ballandsocket or equivalent joint. In the construction illustrated the pitmanis provided with a ball 17, while the socket in which it is mounted consists of a bearing-sleeve 18, fitted with a removable bearing -cap 19 and adapted to contain antifriction balls or rollers 20. The sleeve of the bearing-socket is suitably attached to the piston, as by means of a shank or stem 21, extending through a central opening in the upper end of the piston and engaged above the same by a nut 22; but in order to prevent the excessive communication of heat to the contents ofthe bearing-sleeve the upper closed end of the latter is spaced from the upper end of the piston by means of spacing ribs or webs 23. The pitman is preferably channeled longitudinally, as shown at 24, to provide for the arrangement of the upper end of a spindle 25 in alinement with the axis of rotary movement of the piston, piv-v otal connection between said spindle andthe piston being provided by means of a pin 2G, engaging a hanger 27, depending from the center of the bearing-sleeve in alinement with the stein or shank 21, and by communicating rotary motion to this spindle, which is capable of swinging movement in the plane of swinging movement of the pitman, I am enabled to rotate the piston. As shown in the drawings, the spindle 25 carries a worm-gear 2S, meshing with a Worm which is cut upon the crank or wrist-pin 15. Therefore as the crank turns in accordance with the reciprocatory movement of the piston, and hence turns the crank or wrist-pin, motion is communicated from the worm to the Worm-gear and thence through the spindle to the piston to cause the movement of the eut-offs in a direction transverse to the reciprocatory path of the piston to control the feed and exhaust ports. y

Figs. 3 to G, inclusive, show the positions of the piston at the ends of the several strokes forming the cycle of the engine. During the outward stroke, forming the first of the cycle vand shown in Fig. 3, a vacuum is created in the explosion-chamber, whereupon when the piston reaches the limit of its stroke and the feed-ports are exposed the exhaust-port being closed by the cut-off there is an influx of explosive mixture to charge the cylinder. The succeeding inward stroke of the piston, terminating, as indicated in Fig. 4, causes the compression of the charge, and upon the ignition of the charge the piston is driven, as in the ordinary practice, through the third stroke of the cycle to the position indicated in Fig. 5. When the piston reached the limit of the first outward stroke of' the cycle, the cut-off was in a position to close the exhaust; but during the inward and succeeding outward strokes of the piston the eut-offs have been turned by reason of the rotation of the piston to cause the closing of the feed-ports and the openin,ov of the exhaust-port at the end of the third stroke of the cycle, as shown. Thus when the piston reachesthe limit of its third stroke the exhaust-port is open to allow the escape of the exploded charge, but the relief channel or passage 10 is also in communication with the exhaust-channel 7, and therefore during the inward or fourth and last stroke of the cycle there is a continuous communication between the explosion-chamber in advance of the piston and the exhaustport to allow the approximately complete removal of the products 'of combustion from the cylinder. The continued rotary movement of the piston does not affect the communication of the relief-passage with the exhaust-channel owing to the oblique or spiral disposition of said channel. The position of the piston at the end of the fourth stroke is indicated in Fig. G.

As hereinbefore described in connection with the relation between the pitman and the piston, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, one member of the rolling or rocking joint is carried by the pitman and the other by the piston, the first, in the construction illustrated,

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Y 634,654 'l a 1S and a cap 19, While the head or male member 17 is secured, by means of a stem or shank 21n and a nut 22,to the piston, said head 17 having an annular bearing element 17b for contact with the bearing-balls 20, The rotary spindle 25 is jointed to a hanger 27, depending fromv the head 17.

It will be seen from the foregoing descrip- 'tion that my invention is susceptible of modiiication, particularly with relation to the connection between the driven shaft-and the piston and the means for communicating transverse motion to the cut-offs by rotating the piston to specifically describe only two forms, and it will be understood, furthermore, that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is

l. In agas-engine, the combination ot a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, and an oblique orspirally-disposed exhaust-passage in communication with said exhaust-port, a-

reciprocatory piston having cut-offs for controlling said ports and also provided with relief-channels communicating at one end with the explosion-chamber of the cylinder and adapted at the other end for communication alternately and at times with said exhaustpassage continuously of the inward movement of the piston, and means for turning the piston to cause said cut-ods to moye in a direction transverse to the reciprocatory path lof the piston and establish intermittent engagement of the relief-channels and exhaustpassage, substantially as specified.

2. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston having cut-ods for controlling said ports, andprovided with a pocket in communication with the explosion-chamber of the cylinder, and adapted to receive directly the explosive mixture in its passage to the cylinder propel', an igniter adapted to enter said pocket when the pistonr is in position to receive the initial impulse of the explosive charge and ignite the charge therein, and means for moving said cut-offs in a direction transverse to the path of. reci procatory movement of the piston,substantially as specilied.

`In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed-ports and an exhaustport and an exhaust-passage leading tothe latter, ot a piston provided with spaced cut- OH valves for controlling said ports, a reliefchannel in the. piston adapted to register at times with the exhaust-passage throughout the movement of the piston in one direction,

and means for turning the piston to causer movement of the valves in a direction transversely to the path of the piston and cause intermittent registration of said relief-channels with the exhaust-passage, substantially as specified.

4. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston having a pocket adapted to receivedireotly the charge of explosive mixture, and an igniter, adapted to enter said pocket when in its passage to the cylinder proper the piston is in position to receive the initial impulse Pof the explosive charge and ignite the charge therein, substantially as specified. Y

' 5. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having'fecd and exhaust ports and an igniter, and a'piston having an annular ange upon its upper end disposed inwardly from the periphery thereof vto form a pocket; where, when the piston is at one. end'of its stroke, said pocket is in communication with the ports, and'when at the other end of its stroke the igniter is arranged in said pocket,

said piston beingsubject to direct pressure IOC ports, means for imparting rotary movement to the piston, and relief-chan nels adapted to register at times with the exhaust-passage. as the cylinder is rotated, substantially as speci# lied.

'7. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed-ports and an exhaustport, of a spirally-disposed passage leading to said exhaust-port, ot a reciprocatory piston, a driven crank, a pitman with which said piston 'has a swivel connection, cut-oft devices carried by the piston for controlling said ports, relief-channels in the piston adapted to register at times with the exhaust-passage, and means, including a-gearing', actuated by the crank-shaft, for imparting rotary motion to the pistonto canse such registration of the exhaustpassage and relief-channels, substantially as specilied.

8. Ina gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston, a driven crank, a pitman with which said piston has a swivel connection, cut-off devices carried by the piston IIO spindle disposed at an angle to the axis of the pitman and connected with the piston at the point of intersection of the axes of the pitman and spindle for imparting rotary motion to the piston, substantially as specified.

9. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust port-s, of a reciprocatory piston carrying cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a crank, a pitman between said crank and the piston, and having a ball-and-socket connection with the latter, and means, consisting of a worm, actuated by said crank, and a Worm-gear meshing with the worm and having a spindle disposed at an angle to the axis of the pitrnan and connected with the piston at the point of intersection of the axes of the pitman and spindle for communicating rotary motion to the piston, substantially as specified.

10. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a crank, a pitman connected with the crank and having a ball-and-socket connection with the piston, the same consisting of a ball on the pitman, and a ball-socket mounted upon the piston with its shell spaced from the upper wall of the piston, to form an intervening air-space, and means forcommunicating rotary motion to the piston, substantially as specified.

11. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with eut-off devices for controlling said ports, a crank, a pitman connected with the crank and having a ball-and-socket connection with lthe piston, the same consisting of a ball on the pitman, and a ball-socket on the piston, consisting of a bearing-sleeve, a bearing-cap detachably secured to the bearing-sleeve, and antifriction balls orrollers arranged in the bearing-socket for contact with said ball, and means for com- Inunicating rotary motion to the piston, substantialiy as specied.

12. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a crank, a pitman connected with the crank and having a swivel connection with the piston, consisting of interlocked male and female members, one of which is provided with a stem or shank passed through and engaged with the piston, and the other of which is loosely connected with the pitman, and means connected with the element of the swivel connection carried by the piston for communicating rotary motion to the piston, substantially as specified.

13. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a crank, a pitman connected with the crank and having a swivel connection with the piston, consisting of interlocked male and female members, one of which is provided with a stem or shank fitted in an opening in the shell of the piston and engaged byafastening-nut, and the other of which is carried by the pitman, and means connected with the element of the swivel connection carried by the piston for communicating rotary motion to the piston, substantially as specied.

14. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a crank, a pitman connected with theA crank and having a swivel connection with the piston, consisting of interlocked male and female members, one of which is provided with a stemor shank detachably engaged with the shell of the piston, and the Aother of which is carried by the pitlnan, means for holding the piston-carried member of the connection out of contact with the shell of the piston, and means connected with the element Vof the swivel connection carried by the piston for comm unicating rotary motion to the piston, substantially as specified.

15. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a driven shaft, crank-disks carried by terminally-separated members of the shaft, a wrist-pin connecting said disks, and provided with a worm, a channeled pitman mounted at its inner end kupon said Wrist-pin with its axis intersecting the axis of said pin andhavinga swivel connection at its outer end with said piston, and a worm-gear, meshing with said worm, and a spindle for said gear arranged in the channel of the pitman and at an angle to the axis thereof and terminally connected with the piston at its intersection with the axis thereof, substantially asspeciiied.

16. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder having feed and exhaust ports, of a reciprocatory piston provided with cut-off devices for controlling said ports, a driven shaft, crank-disks carried by terminally-separated members of the shaft, a wrist-pin connecting said disks, and provided with a Worm, a channeled pitman mounted-at itsinner end upon said Wrist-pin and havinga swivel connection at its outer end with said piston, a spindle arranged in the channel of the pitman, and pivotally connected at its outer end to an axial hanger on the piston, at its point of intersection with the pitman, said spindle lying at an angle to the pitman and a wormgear upon the spindle engaging said worm and forminga direct connection between the spin- 'dle and wrist-pin, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE A. NVHITCOMB.

IVitnesses:

FRED. G. WILLIAMS, LonnNZo PROUTY.

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